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Incorporating children into your wedding can add an innocence and a cute-factor to your wedding. But, let’s face it, weddings aren’t “kid friendly”. As a planner, I love ring bearers and flower girls at wedding but there is nothing worst than a poorly behaved child.

1st step to adding children in your wedding is to make them look really really cute. Whether you go for something very unique or themed, your guests are going to want to see cute and innocent children. Caution: don’t make them look older than what they are.

2nd, give them something to do. A simple walk down the aisle isn’t all that fun for them. Especially when there are several eyes gazing upon them. Distract them with a task such as ringing a bell, carrying balloons and releasing them, carrying a sign, or the traditional sprinkling flower petals.

3rd offer them kid friendly dining. Having them sit with boring adults will not only damper the mood for them but for their parents too. Create a table just for them.

4th Give them something fun to do. A fun activity that will last them through the boring dances and yucky kissing.

Finally, let them dance. These photos are great memories that you can use to embarrass them later in life. And everyone gets a kick out of kids dancing. After all, they have all the best moves.

Leslie contacted me from an ad she saw of mine and we set up a consultation. The first thing I noticed is that they both has on red shirts which they would often happen during most of our meetings. lol. We sat down in Panera Bread to discuss their wedding. This meeting was like no other meeting with a potential client that I’d had before. Before I knew it, they took over the meeting and flipped it into an interview. Not a single smile was cracked. They asked me question after question while I continued to smile and answer their questions as honestly as I could. I’m use to being able to make potential clients laugh or smile but not them. After the meeting, I just knew I blew it in some way. Then one evening, totally out of the blue Leslie called me to inform me that they were interested in me being their wedding planner. I was so excited and surprised… The next time I met them, they were a completely new couple!!! There were smiles and laughing and lots of jokes!! I was even more excited now. They completely tricked me!! Here I thought they were going to be stuffy only to find out that they are the complete opposite. I LOVED meeting with them and seeing the two of them interact. They told me about Leslie catching the bouquet at her friends wedding and then soon after they got engaged. We later used the footage during the ceremony of her catching the bouquet right before she walked down the aisle. They shared how they both hold bachelors degree’s in biology and recently became homeowners. I loved Leslie’s laid back personality and Joseph, a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, kept me entertained with his humor each time we met.

The color scheme they chose was Cranberry, Chocolate, and Cream.

One of the things that I loved about them as well is that they trusted my guidance to produce the wedding of their dreams. From vendor selection to the coordination of the day, it felt like they trusted my professional perspective every step of the way. When we met they already chose Grand Marquise Ballroom in Garner, NC as their venue. From there, they choose Best Perspectives Photography and DJ B4. As their florist, I referred them to the wonderful Vickie Garner of The Flower Station in Sanford, NC. Their tables were dressed in cranberry colored linens and centerpieces provided by Creative Touch Designs. They chose Urbana Catering Concepts and served mini cakes to their guests by Sugar Fetish Cakery.

The love that Joseph has and shows for Leslie is so apparent and I LOVED THAT. He was definitely an involved groom during the process. Leslie was such a beautiful bride and on her wedding day, she had a glow of excitement about her. I was truly honored and blessed to be a part of their special day.

Top 3 Money Saving Tips

1. Their venue selection was very beautiful on it’s own which allowed them to save on not having to do a lot of decorating. Instead of having something very elaborate, they chose a simple cylinder vase with a submerged flower and a beautiful linen.

2. They had a October wedding which is at the end of wedding season.

3. Their videographer, Troy Davis of Cinematic Wedding Creations gave a “brotherhood” discount since they are both members of Kappa Alpha Pis Fraternity.

Adding a floral accent to your hair on your wedding day is a great idea for the bride of any season. A floral accessory doesn’t have to be your typical side single flower behind your ear, nor does it have to be attached to a pony tail. Make the flower big, make it colorful, and don’t restrict the arrangement. Attach your birdcage veil to create a contemporary look or create a beautiful crown to maintain a classic look. The best flowers to use are flowers with lots of petals such as roses, ranunculus, & gardenia’s just to name a few. The look above from Style Hive is really one of my favorites! The hydrangeas act as a head piece more than just an accent adding a look that is unique and chic. Below are my favorite ways brides have incorporated flowers into their hairstyles.

The Ranunculus is such a beautifully engaging flower which adds the a soft touch to any wedding. The symbol of this flower is radiant charm which is very fitting. The term Ranunculus stems from the Latin word rana for “frog” probably because they are native to wet areas. One of the wonderful aspects of this flower is that it comes in a variety of colors. From pink to orange to red to purple, choosing this flower will be easy to fit into your color scheme.

Easter makes a great day for a morning wedding/brunch reception. Use the season and holiday to inspire your color pallet of pastels and pale tones. Since it’s spring, so many flowers are in bloom however, Easter is a floral holiday so make sure you place your flower orders early. Don’t be afraid to add a unique hat to your dress accented with a veil. Gentlemen can wear distinctive seersucker suites with brown shoe’s while the bridesmaids can wear a variety of Easter colored dresses. The Easter egg represents “new life” so personalize your wedding with these colored eggs. Choosing Easter as your wedding date can prove to be a spiritually perfect day to start your life together.

Meeting Kim was like a breath of fresh air. We connected so well mostly because we both LOVE to laugh and we did lot’s of that during the planning of her wedding. She selected the Grand Marquise Ballroom in Garner, NC for her ceremony and reception site while I referred her to the delicious food of Urbana Catering Concepts. Her color scheme of plum, silver, and black was beautiful throughout the ballroom. Complimentary candy buffet and event decor provided by Savoir-Faire, Event Planning & Mgmt along with stationary by Amiti’e Events provided the personalization that made her wedding come to life. The day of her wedding was filled with beautiful natural hair ladies and gentlemen. From locs to twists true natural beauty rang.

Top 3 Money Saving Tips

1. The Lowery Perry Wedding took place during the month of December. Having your wedding during the “off season” offers deals and discounts that wouldn’t happen during the typical wedding season.

2. Stationary was gifted by her Aunt. She made the favor boxes for the candy table, invitations, programs, and guestbook.

3. By getting her wedding flowers and planning with the same company, she spent less than she would have going through a separate florist.

The day Jenelle called me her first question was “Do you do weddings in Sanford, NC? I I met with her, her fiance’ and their son Jackson who was the cutest little fella! I found out that they met while Jenelle was buying a car from the dealership that Rickie worked at. We discussed so many things during that first encounter and upon leaving, I was truly excited to get started.

One of the things that I loved about Jenelle is that the things she knew she wanted about her wedding, were solid but the things she was unsure about, she was open to my professional suggestions. Jenelle knew she wanted her ceremony at Jonesboro Presbyterian Church and Dennis Wicker Civic Center for her reception site.

Her wedding ceremony was so beautiful. The Flower Station provided the altar and pew flowers.

With the help of Total Production Service adding lighting, lanterns, and the monogram, we transformed the blank civic center into a beautiful chic venue.An ice sculpture of their monogram provided by AMD Ice Scultpures was positioned right behind them.